The unique charm of Gianni Infantino’s extended summer of football is clearly not lost on João Pedro. He only flew in from a Brazilian beach last week, does not look any the worse for it and has already paid back a significant chunk of his £60m transfer fee after blasting Chelsea into the final of the Club World Cup with two brutal finishes against his boyhood club.
This was a scintillating way for one of the newest faces in Enzo Maresca’s attack to mark his full debut. Fluminense made João Pedro but the Brazilians were broken by one of their own in the heat of New Jersey and could have no complaints about going out. Chelsea were much the better team during a one-sided semi-final, even if they were complaints about the reversal of a first-half penalty awarded after an inadvertent handball by Trevoh Chalobah, and will probably not be worrying about fatigue affecting their Premier League campaign given that the financial rewards of their time in the US have been accompanied by sporting benefits.
A kind draw has not come without complications, allowing this young side to build on the momentum generated by qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Conference League last season. Chelsea feel they are growing. They will also be encouraged by João Pedro’s willingness to put his foot through the ball demonstrating that he will add more than guile and craft against deep defences after joining from Brighton.
Worrying times for Nicolas Jackson, then? He has barely featured since his red card against Flamengo last month and was overlooked again with Liam Delap serving a one-game ban. There was a late runout for Jackson here but his rawness was evident when he slashed wide when through on goal. He has to respond to the challenge posed by Delap and João Pedro. Otherwise Chelsea will not be afraid to move on.
For now, of course, thoughts turn to their return to the MetLife Stadium to face Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final. This is a quirky event, to put it kindly, and there is something faintly amusing about the fourth-best team in England being one win away from being crowned world champions. Chelsea keep on going, though. The transformative effect on their finances cannot be stressed enough. They have already made over £80m from making it this far – almost three Delaps – and will be approaching £100m if they lift the trophy.
A concern for Maresca will be whether Moisés Caicedo will be fit for the final after the influential midfielder twisted an ankle during the closing stages. Caicedo tried to play on but the pain was too much. Losing him would be a big blow, particularly with Roméo Lavia and Dário Essugo both missing here.
João Pedro (top right) watches as his curling shot finds the top corner to open the scoring. Photograph: Buda Mendes/Getty Images
But an all-European final beckons. Chelsea, who were also without Levi Colwill in defence, dealt with temperatures hitting 35C at kick-off and pushed Fluminense back from the start. The Brazilians are the oldest team in the tournament and had more problems with the heat.
The composition of Chelsea’s attack was intriguing. There was no place for Noni Madueke, who continues to be linked with Arsenal. Pedro Neto switched to the left and Christopher Nkunku, who is playing with renewed purpose, caused problems by drifting in from the right.
It was not a surprise when Chelsea went ahead thanks to an error from Thiago Silva in the 18th minute. The former Chelsea centre-back was too casual when he cleared a cross from Neto. The ball fell to João Pedro, who did not hesitate to punish his former club. There was no celebration from the 23-year-old but nor was there any mercy. Having showcased his link-up play during his cameo against Palmeiras, this time he set himself and ripped a dipping, swerving shot past Fábio.
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Marc Cucurella clears off the line in 35C heat. Photograph: Héctor Vivas/FIFA/Getty Images
Chelsea wasted chances to extend their lead. Their intensity dipped before half-time and Fluminense stirred. Marc Cucurella cleared off the line from Hércules. Chalobah had a let-off after handling a cross. The French referee, François Letexier, overturned his decision to award a penalty after reviewing the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Fluminense refused to give in. They made attacking changes at the start of the second half and almost equalised when Everaldo shot straight at Robert Sánchez moments after coming on. But there was more space for Chelsea on the break. They countered through Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández, who released João Pedro with a superb pass.
The Brazilian still had a lot to do. He made it look easy. This time João Pedro cut inside, opened up his body and used his right foot to send a rising drive in off the underside of the bar.
Chelsea continued to dominate, Nkunku twice going close. Two goals were enough. The final promises to be far more taxing but world domination is within reach.
